Sunday, June 13, 2010

Winter's over – this weekend it is finally finally warm and sunny, we planted the last of our seeds in the garden yesterday, my first farmers market visit of the season is behind me, and the tasty fresh meals of the best season are beginning. But, before I put winter totally behind me, I have to give credit to these two soups that helped pull me through it. You never know, there might be a day or two of soup-worthy weather in these happy months to come.

That beautiful bowl of yellow above is Julia Child's Saffron-flavored Garlic Soup with Potatoes. I certainly haven't mastered many of Julia's recipes yet, but her soups have been easy winners for me so far (it was one of her soups that turned me into an instant fan before I even owned the books). This garlic soup is kind of amazing. You don't use any stock – the broth is created just by simmering garlic, herbs and olive oil. And it tastes incredible.The second soup is Green Soup with Ginger, from another source that I trust absolutely when it comes to soups, Heidi Swanson. My most-loved soup is one of hers from the book Super Natural Cooking, Baby Lima Soup with Chipotle Broth. Both of these soups are made wonderful by the fact that they taste like so much more than the combination of their few simple ingredients. As with Julia's garlic soup, the results amaze me.

It's no surprise that I love the Green Soup with Ginger – I can never get enough ginger, or lemon. Or greens for that matter. Darryl always looks at me and says, "You want to add all that chard?" Or spinach, or kale, or... I love them all, and the more the better. This soup tastes healthy and nourishing, with a freshness and lightness that is rare in winter.

Below is Julia's recipe, and the Green Soup with Ginger can be found on Heidi's site, 101 Cookbooks. I substituted yukon gold potato for sweet potato, and shallots for the onion.

Saffron-flavored Garlic Soup with Potatoesfrom Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child

Drop 16 cloves whole unpeeled garlic in boiling water and boil 30 seconds. Drain, run cold water over them, and peel.

Strain the soup and return it to the saucepan. Simmer 3 cups diced potatoes in the soup with a pinch of saffron for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Correct seasoning. Serve with French bread and grated swiss or parmesan cheese.

About WeDine

It all started with friendly Friday potlucks as beleaguered design students in search of a home-cooked meal, and upon graduation evolved into Wednesday Dinners, a mid-week refuge from work. After a few months we realized we were improving and had begun to think of food in new ways. We wanted to document these successes (and sometimes, failures) – and thus was born WeDine.

Here's how it works: each Wednesday, we discuss our current cravings, take inventory of what's on hand, meet at a market to gather fresh ingredients which will complete our improvised menu, and finally head home to cook together.

(Oh, and by the way, we now document all our food loves and adventures here!)